Los Angeles Lakers: 3 players facing the most pressure in 2018-19

EL SEGUNDO, CA - SEPTEMBER 24: Lonzo Ball #2 LeBron James #23 Kyle Kuzma #0 and Brandon Ingram #14 of the Los Angeles Lakers pose for a portrait during media day at UCLA Health Training Center on September 24, 2018 in El Segundo, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /

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(Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) /

2. Lonzo Ball

Similar to Ingram, Lonzo Ball had a lot of hype heading into his inaugural NBA season, most of which came from his outspoken father.

With a line of 10.2 points, 7.2 assists, 6.8 rebounds and 1.7 steals a night, Ball certainly didn’t have as bad of a rookie year as some would suggest, but there are certain aspects of his game — shooting to be blunt with it — that need serious fixing.

Despite entering only his second season, the former UCLA product really needs to start showing improvements to his game, like, more than most sophomores. He is in a pressure-cooker of an environment, next to a player who has but so many years left at his highest level.

Baggage can only be tolerated up to a certain point, and while the Lakers front office dealt with Ball’s last season, they’ll only go so far when his on-court production doesn’t justify all the negative attention.

This does not mean he has to morph into a finished product in 2019, but if noticeable changes aren’t brought to the table, Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka likely won’t be willing to wait for something that probably won’t come, which could make Lonzo the odd man out in LA’s future.

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